Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai is reflecting on the time when music felt like a gift to her. The 27-year-old recently posted a carousel of photos attending Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour concert at the Wembley Stadium in London. The Instagram post was shared alongside her childhood memory when the Taliban took over her hometown, the Swat Valley, barring not only girls from attending schools but also banning music and television.
Malala noted one of her favorite memories from Swat Valley was a field trip that she took in middle school with her best friends. They went to a “waterfall hidden away in a lush green mountain”, excited they could attend school again and be outdoors after the Taliban’s grasp on the area loosened. Malala wrote, “Having lived through a time when music and art were banned, music felt like a gift.
Moniba and I found the highest rock we could, climbed on top of it, and announced to all of our classmates and teachers we were going to perform our new favourite song called LOVE STORY. We sang with all of our hearts, taking in the joy we felt every second. That’s where my Swiftie journey began.
It feels magical that my first-ever proper concert would be to see Taylor Swift, singing along to every song surrounded by friends.” A post shared by Malala Yousafzai (@malala) In 2012, while on a bus after taking an exam, Malala and two other girls were shot by a Taliban gunman in an assassination attempt for defying the Taliban’s rules. The gunman fled the scene but Malala was struck in the head.
After initial treatment at the Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology, she was flown to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, London. The assassination attempt sparked global outrage over the Taliban reign with Malala receiving outpouring international support for her activism. “Three years ago, the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan.
Once again, music no longer plays on the streets, and girls and women are barred from school, work, and public life. In Swat, music made my friends and me feel confident and free. And one day I hope we will live in a world where every girl will be able to enjoy music and live out her wildest dreams,” Malala concluded her post.
A post shared by Malala Yousafzai (@malala) The photo features the Pakistani activist posing with her husband Asser Malik, trading friendship bracelets, and posing with two other friends at the stadium. Malala Yousafzai became a Nobel Peace Prize laureate at the age of 17..
